Statement by Mr. Amit Narang, Counsellor, on Agenda Item: 'Globalization and Interdependence' at the Second Committee of the 70^th Session of the
United Nations General Assembly on October 15, 2015

Thank you for giving me the floor Mr. President.

The defining creed of globalization is interdependence. In this sense, this agenda item is rather well formulated.

Globalization has brought unprecedented mobility of goods, services, capital, labour, technology and ideas. In doing so, it has spurred growth and created wealth. It has fostered greater trade and investments. It has brought people together.

At the same time, globalization has also brought in a high degree of instability and insecurity in its wake.

Even more importantly, as the Millennium Declaration presciently noted, the benefits of globalization have not been equitably shared, while its costs are unevenly distributed.

Mr. President,

As the world becomes a global village, as advances in technology bring us closer together and as a common sense of destiny drives us to look for collaborative solutions, it is but to state the obvious that there is an urgent and constantly growing need to find fresh perspectives to manage globalization - enhance its positive energies and contain its unwanted ramifications.

The question then really is as to how do we manage globalization and how should the United Nations system respond to a world of growing interdependence.

Mr. President,

We took an important step in this direction by adopting the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with the lofty aim of transforming our world.

This agenda with a comprehensive set of action-oriented SDGs can be seen as a useful response to manage the common challenges we face through collective action.

What is important is the emphasis in the new agenda of moving from quick fixes to long term solutions, from limited interventions to broad-based programs and from symptoms to root causes.

The new agenda also realizes and indeed is built upon the notion of respecting the developmental diversity and different national circumstances. It therefore correctly avoids a one-size-fits-all approach. It also correctly affirms the principle of differentiation based on historical responsibilities when it comes to management of global commons.

A key determinant of the success of the new agenda will be the extent to which we can strengthen and revitalize the global partnership and create an enabling environment for development for developing countries.

Mr. President,

Even as we put in place a new development agenda, there is yet another facet that demands our attention.

To ensure that globalization becomes a positive force for sustainable development for all the world's people, there is a need to strengthen multilateralism throughrepresentative and participatory global governance structures.

A globalized world demands that the international regimes for global governance are reflective of contemporary realities. Yet, unfavorable and iniquitous international regimes, in which developing countries have a marginal say, continue to prevent developing countries from taking full advantage of globalization.

We must recognize that inequity in global governance is itself an obstacle to sustainable development and for effective management of globalization.

In the context of the new agenda which applies equally to all countries, rich and poor, North and South, small and big, governance of international institutions needs to be looked at carefully and unequal power structures and lop-sided or outdated models need to be urgently reformed.

This is not merely about the reform of the Security Council, which is but only the most grotesque example of global power oligopoly.

This is equally valid and urgent with regard to other institutions including the IFIs, where even modest proposals for incremental reform have remained buried under selective legislative obscurantism.

This is valid for processes such as global norms for taxation, where an overwhelming chorus for making this a universal and multilateral process was vetoed just a few months ago by the most vociferous proponents of universality and rule of law.

This is also valid and relevant for the United Nations development system where agencies engaged in the operational activities for development continue to be dominated by donors.

Inclusiveness and rule of law demand therefore that developing countries are afforded an equal place at the table. The spirit which imbues the new agenda - that of collective effort - needs to translate to global power structures for addressing globalization.

Mr. President,

Allow me also to briefly address the dimension of culture.

In our view, mutual respect for cultures is a fundamental premise of successful globalization. From an Indian perspective, a culture-sensitive approach is one that embraces differences, celebrates diversity and promotes mutual respect.

The true spirit of globalization also means that the flow of ideas cannot be a one-way transmission.  Benefitting from globalization entails open minds. It means embracing good ideas from all over.

With its multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual social ethos and a pluralistic, democratic polity India's experience can usefully enrich the global discourse of ideas.

As we take the first steps towards sustainable development, the Indian ethos of harmony with nature has particular relevance for the world.

Indians have long believed in treating nature's bounties as sacred, of seeking a dialogue with nature rather than seeking to dominate it.

A culture of frugality, of doing more with less, of taking only as much as required from nature and of no wastage, is also a part and parcel of the Indian traditional wisdom.

These are values and ideals that, if adopted and nurtured at a global level, will stand us in good stead in our collective quest to bequeath a healthy planet to our future generations.

I thank you Mr. President.

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